Published: 2021-09-20
Views: 240
Author: Contributor
Published in: Fitness

The most common negative effect of birth control pills is gaining weight. Oral contraceptives can cause weight gain, but some are more potent than others. However, the weight increase is usually due to water retention and will go off in a few months.

Why some birth control pills could make you gain weight?

Premenstrual syndrome is characterized by water retention, which is a common symptom brought on by changes in hormone levels. Perhaps you've already experienced this symptom: you begin to feel bloated and your clothing becomes increasingly restrictive a few weeks before your period begins.

You need to note that estrogen-containing birth control pills have the same effect. Contained in the most type of birth control pill is the two types of synthetic female hormones—estrogen and progestin which prevent your body from releasing an egg.

If you are taking an estrogen-containing pill, you may experience water retention, which will make you think you've gained weight. After a few months on the pill, water retention normally goes away.

Types of Hormonal Contraceptives

Whether or whether you encounter side effects can be greatly influenced by the kind and concentration of hormones in your birth control. There are six distinct methods for administering hormonal birth control.

• The pill
• The patch
• Ring
• Hormonal IUD
• The shot
• Implant

Each approach makes use of varying concentrations of the ovulation-inhibiting hormone progestin or a combination of progestin and estrogen to regulate the menstrual cycle.

In terms of structure and function, these man-made hormones are identical to those produced by the pituitary gland in our bodies.

"The pill" or oral contraceptives are frequently blamed for weight gain. Although, regular birth control methods have been known for a long time.

In 1960, when birth control pills were made available, they included unusually high amounts of estrogen and progestin hormones, which are said to be associated with increased hunger and fluid retention. Oral contraceptives today contain significantly lower concentrations of these hormones.

Recent studies show that current birth control pills have little chance of causing significant weight gain or loss in their users.

Researchers have also found no evidence that the vaginal ring or patch had any impact on weight loss or gain in women.

IUDs, or intrauterine devices, are long-acting contraceptives that are implanted into the uterus. It's unclear whether IUDs affect weight.

This is a tough strategy to research since a significant number of IUD users would have to be compared to a control group who received a placebo IUD over time.

Because the placebo device would not contain any hormones, it would be more difficult to attract volunteers because of the risk of unintended pregnancy.

However, this is not the case for IUDs that include hormones, since roughly 5% of women who use them experience weight gain as a result.

Small weight gain has been linked to progestin-only contraceptive implants and injections. A tiny plastic rod containing progestin is put into your upper arm as a birth control implant.

There have been researched results showing an average weight gain of 3 pounds or less; however, these extra pounds are not clearly linked to the implant.

The shot is still the only method of birth control associated with an increase in body mass index (BMI). This is very popular with those women that don't want to take a daily pill.

Depo-Provera users have higher weight and BMI than non-users, according to the research. It took four months for a research study to follow 100 participants between the ages of 18 and 45 (50 of whom had used Depo and 50 of whom were in the control group).

Depo-Provera users gained a lot of weight, while those in the control group didn't gain anything. Between 2 and 30 pounds were gained.

Shots containing hormones identical to those contained in the pill, patch, and ring have not been linked to an increase in body weight.

Component of Birth Control Pill with the Least Weight Gain

The adverse effect profile of a particular birth control pill depends on two primary factors:

• The kind of progestin used to produce the birth control pill.
• The quantity of estrogen as well as progestin.

You should note that the 'combined hormone' birth control pills contain both estrogen and progestin. To counter this, 'progestin-only tablets,' or 'mini-pills,' contain only the hormone progesterone.

The quantity of estrogen in a tablet can influence both tolerance and effectiveness. While progestin is the most important component when it comes to the side effect profile of a certain birth control pill, this also includes weight gain.

Although, there are some exceptions to the rule, the vast majority of birth control tablets contain the same component which includes: estrogen, ethinyl estradiol.

Progestins are found with a different range of potencies. The type of progestin used has the greatest impact on side effects and is categorized by generation (more on this in the following section).